CSN-Bay Area: No negotiations with Allen yet

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie was scheduled to meet with Denver defensive coordinator Dennis Allen Tuesday night for a second interview for the club’s vacant head coaching job, but McKenzie told CSN-Bay Area reports of “negotiations’’ were premature.ESPN reported Tuesday morning the Raiders had identified Allen as the lead candidate and were negotiating a contract.

“There’s no negotiations (right now),’’ McKenzie said.

Citing “multiple league sources,’’ the ESPN reported Tuesday that other candidates, including Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice have been formed they are no longer under consideration.

Asked by CSN-Bay Area if Allen could lock up the job Tuesday night, McKenzie said. “He could. Depends. He’s got a lot of stuff he needs to answer. Nah, it’s not a lock, irregardless of other people’s reports.’’

McKenzie said the fates of other candidates would depend on Allen’s interview.

Tice, according to reports in the Chicago media, removed himself from consideration Monday night. Other candidates reported to have interviewed include Mornhinweg, Green Bay assistant head coach Winston Moss and Miami defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.

Allen, 39, would be the first Raiders head coach with a defensive background since John Madden was hired by Al Davis in1969 to succeed John Rauch. Before being hired by Denver, Allen was a defensive backs coach with the New Orleans Saints and also worked with the defensive line in both New Orleans and Atlanta.

McKenzie is in Mobile, Ala., scouting for the Senior Bowl and told CSN-Bay Area Monday he hoped to have a coach named by the end of the week. McKenzie said at the time of his hiring he wanted his “own guy’’ as head coach and dismissed Hue Jackson after one season.

Allen’s strong candidacy is somewhat of a surprise given that he and McKenzie have no known background. McKenzie reportedly interviewed Allen for the first time last week in Denver while the Broncos other candidate, offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, pulled out of the running to concentrate on the vacancy in Miami.

In terms of defensive philosophy, Allen told the Broncos Web site heading into the 2011 season “We’re going to be built off speed and athleticism. We want to be a very fast, violent, aggressive type of defense.’’

Defensive collapses against Buffalo, Denver and San Diego in the season finale helped keep the Raiders out of the playoffs.